Kyara of Fortree
by RaraLion
Summary: This is a story about a girl named Kyara Lazul who wants to see the world and become strong, both as a trainer and as a person. She starts out from Fortree with her trusty Absol, Stormheart, and dreams of meeting new people and pokemon.
1. Out of Eden

Kyara yawned and stretched in her bed. The morning sun was streaming through her window, lighting up the motes that hung in the air, appearing like glitter floating leisurely around her room. It was a humid morning, and the tree branches growing throughout her room were shivering softly in a breeze. As she sat up, she gathered her hip-length rust-coloured hair into a loose ponytail, and yawned once more. She got off the bed and smiled as her feet touched the cool wood of the floor. The wide windows, which looked out to the other tree houses, had various Pokémon perched along the sills. It was a beautiful morning, and bird Pokémon could be heard calling out to each other in high singing voices. She stood in the windowless corner of her room and slid out of her pyjamas and into her usual get-up. First came the steel-blue jeans and the sleeveless white v-neck. Then the brown leather belt with the golden buckle and the brown forearm wraps tied with black string. On went the black fingerless gloves and the golden bangles, two for each arm. She slipped on her blue denim sleeveless vest, clipped her silver sleepers into her ears and tied her black cloth chocker around her neck. She turned and admired the chocker in the mirror. It bore a round, shiny lapis lazuli stone, her family's symbol. The family of Lazul. She took a moment to bring some order to her hair. It was short around the sides and back, and stuck up pixie-like. She pushed her fringe into its normal side-fringe position and rubbed the last of the sleep out of her sky-blue eyes. Kyara walked to the doorway and looked out into the forest. The people of the city were walking along the rope bridges that we suspended between the trees, some were even jumping from branch to branch. Although that was mostly the teenagers. Kyara was just about to step out onto the bridge when she remembered she'd left her brown-rimmed goggles on the vanity table. She raced over and popped them onto her head before pelting along the bridge, laughing as it rocked and swayed under her bare feet. The bridge connected to the main house, which practically grew on the trunk of the huge tree. Kyara's room was out on a thick branch, as was the rest of the family's rooms. She entered the doorway and laughed as she recognised who was waiting for her inside.

"Whatcha doing, Stormy?" she asked in a playful tone, and the Absol, Stormheart, butted her side with his white-furred head. Kyara ruffled his white mane and he looked happily up at his trainer. He had been with Kyara since she was nine, when she had rescued him from a storm. She had been out exploring with her Wurmple when she met an Absol and her two cubs in a fierce storm. The Wurmple and one of the cubs were blown away. The two took shelter and were found later suffering hypothermia. Unfortunately Wurmple didn't make it. Mother Absol was so grateful that the Lazul family brought him back to health, that when the young cub wanted to stay with Kyara, she let him. Kyara loved the fact that her Absol was special. He didn't have the red eyes Absol normally have. Instead, Stormheart had blue eyes, the same sky blue the Kyara herself had. And just to make him even easier to recognise from wild Absol, she had given him a bangle, which he wore around the base of the horn on his head.

As the two were greeting each other, Rita, Kyara's mum, walked in from the healing room. She was carrying a small Tailow in her arms. Kyara's family looked after sick or injured or orphaned Pokémon. They had a rule that the Pokémon they looked after could only be kept if they were unable to support themselves back in the wild, or if the Pokémon itself wanted to stay. Rita was a well trained doctor and Kyara's father Kane was a Ranger who went searching for orphaned or sick Pokémon. Following behind Rita was her two Pokémon, Aya the Kirlia and Sharma the Gardevoir.

"Good morning Kyara!" Rita said with a smile. Kyara smiled back and walked to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and retrieved the milk. The kitchen was just a portion of the main room that had been cut off by a bench and filled with the appliances necessary. While Kyara went about making her breakfast, her other siblings entered the room with their Pokémon.

First came Flora Lazul, Kyara's older sister, 17. She had the family trait of rust-red coloured hair, freckles and blue eyes, and she was quite fit from living in Fortree. She held in her arms a small Kecleon, who had been staying with the family for three years, training to get back to full health. Behind her was Sasha, holding her two-year old brother Durres, in her arms. Sasha's Nincada was trailing behind, a happy look on its face. Sasha was going on her Gym Leader journey soon, especially since she just turned 11. She was excited, as the start of her journey was only two days away. Flora had challenged two gym leaders, including Winona of Fortree, but she returned when she found the sickly Kecleon. Kyara didn't really want to leave Fortree just to win badges, because she felt obliged to stay and help her parents. But now her little sister was leaving, she'd decided it was time to go explore the world. All but Kane settled down to eat breakfast, as he was still out on a mission. Sasha wouldn't stop talking about how excited she was, and Rita couldn't stop gushing with pride.

After eating, Kyara gave Stormheart a special berry mix that boosts energy and tastes good. Kyara had to do stop herself from eating some. Then, the two of them took the ramp down to the forest floor. Kyara sat down to put on her boots. They were half-shin high, brown, lace up boots with a buckle at the top. The soles were thick and black, and the toe cap was shiny steel. She leaped to her feet and raced off through the trees, with Stormheart hard at her heels. She dodged through some underbrush and re-emerged in a clearing. The trees of Fortree towered above her, vines draping down towards the forest floor. Kyara headed towards the one of the only grounded buildings in the city. It was mostly grey, but had a brown roof, and it was a fair size. Kyara entered the gym and found Winona at the foyer, talking to a trainer at the reception desk.

"Please! I have a time limit!" the new trainer said. He looked about 13, Kyara's age; he was not very tall, but he had a very muscular build for his age. He wore a plain green t-shirt with a red jacket over the top. His black shorts went to his knees and his expensive looking runners hugged his feet with accuracy only money can buy. But the most striking thing about him was his hair. It was yellow blonde. He had a fringe that lengthened down the bridge of his nose, and long bangs in front of his ears that reached his shoulders. The rest of his hair was styled like that of a Spearow; spiked out at the top. Perched on his shoulder was a Spearow to complete the look.

Winona shook her head.

"Sorry, you have to come back later. I don't start accepting challengers until I'm ready. The gym is still a mess from the last battle," she explained. Then she thought for a second.

"You can battle me if you help the repair team fix the gym hall," she finished and walked towards the gym entrance. She spotted Kyara and smiled.

"Hi Kyara! Ready for our battle tomorrow? I heard you were leaving before your sister."

"Yeah. I didn't want to steal her thunder."

"I hope your Stormheart has improved. I tell you what. I'll judge you one vs. one okay? I know you don't have any other Pokémon."

"Wow, thanks!"

"No need to thank me. It's the least I can do for what your family did for my Swablu."

With that, she walked outside into the glorious morning in the forest. Kyara turned to see the boy glowering at her.

"Hey there. So you're going to help me with the cleanup?"

The boy stopped glaring and nodded. He looked a bit too preppy for Kyara's taste. Even the Spearow seemed to smell of money.

"It would seem so. I'm Joseph Chanson, Spearow Trainer."

"Kyara Lazul. Um, Absol trainer?" she said, almost as a question. Stormheart stood proudly at her side, his white fur surprisingly clean for a forest Pokémon. Joseph grimaced.

"When you say you are a certain Pokémon trainer, it usually means that you train many of that kind," he commented before turning and walking into the gym hall. Kyara knew this guy would get annoying. But she decided not to judge him just yet.

The hall truly was a mess. The hall was as a general rule, a neat, barren place. But the floor was ploughed and crumbled, with rock jutting out in random directions. The walls were covering in what appeared to be mud, but it hadn't dried yet. Joseph raised an eyebrow, and then proceeded to grab the pokéballs strapped to his waist. He threw six into the air and called out in a clear voice, "Sae, Kai, Mia, Myra, Barron and Harding. Gust!"

Instantly, all the mud on the walls hardened. He then ordered the six Spearow to begin scraping off the mud. They set to work with their beaks and talons, chipping away at the patches. Kyara was not at all amused. It would've been easier for the birds to wipe the mud off with their feathers, not chip away at dry cakes. Instead, the trainer had decided to not let his precious birds get muddy. Kyara rolled her eyes and walked to the stands. Behind a panel on the wall there were three pokéballs. Kyara grabbed them all and released the Pokémon inside. It was three Geodude.

"You guys know what to do!" she shouted as she released them. The Pokémon came out and instantly started reshaping the floor. She called out directions from a distance and skilfully directed them, fixing the floor in less than an hour. Joseph was sitting in the stands brushing dust from one of his Spearow. He made a 'hmph' noise and walked out to wait in the lobby. Kyara watched him go with dislike. He was definitely annoying. She made sure the three Geodude were back in their place and the mud was completely scraped off the walls, then she walked out into the lobby. She didn't even bother saying goodbye to the trainer. He wasn't looking for a wave or anything anyway.

Kyara headed out to Route 120 with Stormheart. She couldn't wait for Stormheart to grow a little more, and then they could travel long distance. Stormheart just wasn't quite strong enough to carry Kyara and keep constant speed. Kyara stopped to catch her breath. Stormheart stopped by her side and looked at her with his big blue eyes. He grinned, and Kyara couldn't help but smile back. She continued on her way through the long grass. It was nearing midday when they stopped in the long grass. Kyara liked the way the grass swayed in unison in the breeze, forming a sea of green around her and her Pokémon. The sky was pristine blue and the only cloud to be seen was so white and fluffy it looked like an Altaria's wings. Which it probably was. Stormheart and Kyara took a moment to listen to the flow of the Pokémon, water, grass and wind around them. Then, Kyara stood abruptly, swept her runt-coloured fringe back and pointed at a moving patch of grass.

"Stormheart, Quick Attack!"

Stormheart was there is a flash, and caught the surprised Poochyena in the side. It tumbled, but was quickly on its feet with its tail fur bristling.

"I saw you spying on me. You have been every time I've come out here for the past week!" she accused, pointing a finger. The Poochyena seemed to smirk and raced forward for a Tackle attack.

"Stormheart, use that move we learnt yesterday!" she shouted, the adrenalin of the battle making her a little cocky. "Bite!"

Stormheart dodged past the Poochyena and opened its jaws wide. It leaped in and gave the smaller Pokémon a full-fanged bite to its body. The Poochyena took the brunt of the attack, but managed to stand up once the Absol had dropped it. Stormheart quickly leaped back to Kyara's side and watched the Pokémon stagger slightly. Then it turned its head around and pulled an Oran berry from its tail. It ate the berry, and then proceeded to slide back into the grass' shadows. That swift movement alerted Kyara she had underestimated the Pokémon. Dark type moves like Bite only have minimal effect on other Dark types, and Kyara knew this. She just thought the Poochyena was weaker than it really was. Now the Poochyena had fled into the grass' shadows once more and gotten away. Kyara screamed in frustration. Stormheart gave her a sympathetic look. They spent the rest of the afternoon searching the grass and training. By the time the sun was sinking well below the tree line, Kyara was ready to give up. Stormheart wanted to stay out and find the foe who had escaped, by Kyara knew they had to prepare for tomorrow.

"How could I be so arrogant!" she asked Stormheart. "Oh well, we'll just have to come back tomorrow before we leave."

The pair made their way back to Fortree at a sprint. They passed several other trainers heading back for the night, but when they reached the outskirts of the city, Kyara spotted Joseph. He too had spotted the red haired girl and her Absol. He shrugged at her smiled greeting, unsettling the Spearow on his shoulder.

"Good luck tomorrow," he said, before flashing his Feather Badge. Kyara was indeed surprised, but she managed to keep it hidden.

"Thanks," she replied. He grunted and tended to his Spearow. Only then did she notice how beat up the Spearow was. She hesitated then stepped closer.

"My family cares for injured Pokémon. My mother has great healing skills. We could help you with your Spearow," she offered. A strange look fell over Joseph's face. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

"No, I'm fine," he replied gruffly, but then added, "But thanks," and carried his Spearow towards the city Pokémon Centre.

By the time Kyara climbed the main tree to her house and sat down for dinner, she was getting anxious about tomorrow. Not only did she have to leave home, but she had to defeat Winona. If she couldn't do that, her parents were not going to let her go on her own. She would be forced to travel with her sister and her two other friends. Kyara wouldn't mind their company, but she wanted to meet new friends and go her own way. Kyara finished her meal with a glass of Moo Moo Milk, then raced about the house like an Electrike on a coffee high. She packed all the useful items she could think of: plenty of rope, food, clothes, Repel, Potions, berries and heaps of Pokéballs. After she had packed everything she would need, she realised she had too much to carry and started again. When she finally finished, she was left with a black shoulder bag that was about the same size as her torso. It was a comfortable weight and it held everything she would need. She also prepared a brown waterskin, which held about two or three litres of water. Last of all, she dusted off her sister's Pokéball belt, which held six pokéballs at the ready. She attached Stormheart's ball straight away, thinking there may be times when carrying him in a pokéball may be necessary. Kyara made sure her clothes were ready for her early start tomorrow and went over the bridge to her room. It was a surprisingly cool night, which brought the promise of rain upon the breeze. The Nincada were singing quietly and in the distance, Mightyena could be heard howling. Kyara remembered that she had to catch the Poochyena before she left. She made a mental note and drifted off to sleep.


	2. Winona and the Wolf

As soon as the Tailow began chirping the next morning, Kyara was up, bathed and dressed. Her eyes were extra bright as she wolfed down a large breakfast of pancakes, berries and cream, and she was jiggling up and down in her seat. Her family went about making her last morning as pleasant as possible. Kyara fed and groomed Stormheart until his fur glowed. Everyone could tell Stormheart was excited too, as he bounced around behind Kyara with bright eyes and brushed up against all the members of the household. Then, when the time came, everyone flooded down the ramp to the forest floor, including the Pokémon. The loud group made their way through the gigantic trees to the gym. As they passed, other family friends joined what appeared to be the Lazul parade, with much laughter and joking. When they reached the Gym, Winona was leaning against the doorway, a smile plastered on her calm face.

"Are you ready?" she asked. Kyara nodded, although still feeling very nervous. She hadn't challenged Winona since she was around 10, when she had tried to show her older sister she was just as good and was ready to go out on her own too.. She had ended up running home with a battered Stormheart in her arms, crying and begging so she could stay at home.

The group entered the gym and took seats in the stands, each shouting words of encouragement to both Pokémon trainers. They stood facing each other, with a long stretch of newly flattened earth between them. Winona cleared her voice and held up a pokéball.

"This will be a one on one battle. When your Pokémon is unable to battle, you lose," she said simply. She then glanced into the crowd, and smiled. Kyara followed her gazed and also smiled. Her father, Kane, was in the stands cheering her on! She knew her father would make it, and hadn't worried about it. But now he was there, she had to show him how strong she had become.

"Chose your Pokémon," Winona ordered, although it was a little unnecessary. Never the less, Stormheart waited until he was called, standing by his trainer's side.

"Stormheart, show them what you've learned!" she shouted happily, and watched with pride as her young Absol bounded out into the middle of the hall. There were a couple of cheers from the crowd, but the hall quickly fell silent.

"I choose... Swellow!" Winona called out, throwing the ball she held in the direction of Stormheart. After the flash of the pokéball came a fast moving figure. It stopped above the Absol and spread its wings wide. It was an impressive Swellow, with a large wingspan. Its feathers gleamed meanly, showing both the care and effort that had gone into training this Pokémon. Kyara hadn't had much experience with gym battles, but she knew it was to be a tough fight.

Winona made her move first.

"Swellow, Focus Energy! Then Double Team!"

The Swellow began to glow with a light blue aura, as if each feather was luminescent. The Swellow's talons seemed to lengthen and the wing beats became faster. Then the Swellow suddenly multiplied. The bird Pokémon was moving so fast, there appeared to be seven other Swellow surrounding Kyara's Absol. But instead of trying to look for the real Swellow and become dizzy, he stared hard at Winona. Kyara knew they wouldn't find it easy to find the real one, but it had to be done.

"Stormy, sense it!" she shouted, and everyone took this as the name of a move. But Stormheart didn't move. A split second later, the Swellow became one again and it dove straight at the Absol with a Quick Attack order from Winona. As the Swellow dived, the white trail of Quick Attack blocked the view of Stormheart. The whole crowd gasped as the Absol leaped above the bird just in time to avoid the sharp beak.

"Bite!" Kyara ordered. She said this as the Absol leaped, so as he came down, his jaws were wide open and headed straight for the bird. Winona was however, quick to recover.

"Aerial Ace!" ordered Winona.

At this command, the Swellow suddenly became encircled by white streaks and manoeuvred swiftly out of Stormheart's way, whose sharp teeth clicked shut over thin air. Swellow flew up and flipped over for a second dive, this time with its talons spread. The crowd cheered at the display of skill. Unfortunately, Stormheart was not quick enough to dodge. He was hit on the flank, and he rolled a few meters across the earth before coming to a skidding stop. The crowd held its breath for a moment, but as the Absol began to stand shakily, they cheered. He looked battered and dirty though.

"Stormy! You can do it!" Kyara encouraged, and her Pokémon seemed to stop shaking. He stared at the Swellow, who was still hovering where it had last attacked. Kyara knew they couldn't get hit once more. Focus Energy had given the Swellow enormous power, and Stormheart was seriously hurt by that last attack. She had to finish it quickly, and no holding back.

"Quick Attack!" she cried out. Stormheart raced forward, blazing a white energy trail behind him. He zigzagged and came upon the bird quickly, but Winona was ready.

"Fly up!"

The Swellow flew high into the air, nearing the high gym roof. Kyara smiled.

"Aerial Ace!" Kyara ordered. Stormheart, not slowing from his quick attack, used the momentum and leaped into the air. The trail of Quick Attack blended with the streaks of Aerial Ace as the Absol shot towards the Swellow, claws out.

"Roll!" Winona countered. Stormheart came dangerously close to Swellow, but the bird rolled sideways and the attack just missed.

"Now, Stormy! Razor Wind!"

Stormheart's horn suddenly began to glow. He reached the roof and used it to propel himself back down at the Swellow. His horn grew flash-bright before he flicked his head at his opponent, sending a crescent of silver wind flying at the bird Pokémon. Swellow was spreading its wings, trying to regain its sense of balance from its roll and was caught off guard. The crescent collided straight into the Swellow's body, sending it careening towards the ground.

"Finish it with Bite!" Kyara crowed. Because Stormheart was travelling at a much higher speed than the hurt Swellow, he reached it before it hit the floor. He delivered the powerful bite and landed agilely on his four paws and dropped the very large, limp bird to the floor. The Swellow struggled feebly for a few moments before it fell unconscious.

The hall was silent. Then, Kyara's family began cheering as loud as they could. The whole assembly of people applauded as Winona declared Kyara the winner. She picked up her injured Pokémon in her arms very gently and congratulated Kyara.

"That was impressive. The whole thing was over in less than two minutes," she praised. She returned the Pokémon to its pokéball and retrieved something from a pocket. She held out her hand, and Kyara took the badge that glistened there.

"Here is your Feather Badge. You earned it."

Kyara was brimming with pride as she took the badge and held it up into the air. Her aim was not to defeat all the gym leaders and get badges, but it felt good to be presented with one anyway. Stormheart returned to Kyara's side and looked at the shiny metallic symbol of his strength. Kyara thought about looping it onto his bangle, but figured it would just get annoying.

"I'm very proud of you Stormy," she cooed, giving his mane a good ruffle.

"And I you," a deep voice said. Kyara turned to see her father walking towards her with his partner Noctowl on his shoulder. She ran up and gave him a big hug. He looked a little worn out, but he still had enough energy to praise his daughter's Pokémon enthusiastically.

"So, you managed to beat the gym leader. Now you are going to travel on your own. We can see now that Stormheart is more than strong enough to protect you," he said with a smile. He held out an opaque greatball. "This is for you." Kyara thanked him and put the greatball in her bag. The rest of Kyara's family came over and fussed over the badge. When everyone had held it, Kyara pinned it to the collar of her denim vest. Her mother thought it looked good on her. It "brought out her eyes".

"Well, I better be off," she said with a laugh. The group migrated from the stands and to the foyer of the gym. Winona joined the group on its march to the edge of the city near Route 120. Before leaving the cover of the trees, Sasha walked up to Kyara with her Nincada in her head.

"Good luck Kyara. I bet I can get gym badges faster than you!" she challenged. Kyara grinned and ruffled her younger sister's hair.

"No way, short stuff," she laughed, then added with a gentle smile, "I'm sure we'll meet up again soon."

There were many hugs and tears as her family and friends all said goodbye and waved Kyara off on her adventure. Stormheart and Kyara walked briskly, both waving back to the people and Pokémon they had been around for most of their lives. The sky was crystal clear and the sun was shining especially warm that day. Dark, heavy clouds could be seen in the sky behind the travellers as they walked across grassy plains. There was a tail wind, as if nature herself was sending them on their way. Kyara was excited and knew there was to be much more excitement in the future.

Kyara crept through the long grass, Stormheart indicating the direction of the hidden opponent with his horn. There were a couple of wispy clouds covering the sun, so it was much easier for Kyara to hide her red hair. She heard the grass rustle and her eyes caught sight of a shadow creeping through the grass to flank her and Stormheart. She pretended not to notice until it jumped out, and swiftly turned around with Stormheart growling, ready for battle. The Poochyena was surprised, but quickly recovered and took up its familiar fighting stance. The two Pokémon stared at each other a moment. Then the Poochyena howled long and strong. It finished its battle cry and leaped at the Absol with bared fangs.

"I'll not underestimate you again," she said, then shouted, "Razor Wind!"

Stormheart's horn glowed and he flung the white crescent at the smaller Bite Pokémon. The Poochyena had no time to dodge, and copped the attack full in the face. It fell and lay panting on the ground, its eyes shut. Kyara retrieved a pokéball and threw it at the Pokémon with a grunt. The ball bounced on Poochyena and engulfed the entire Pokémon in a flash, but a second later, the Poochyena broke out. The broken pieces of the ball fell from his coat as he struggled to his feet. Kyara gasped. She may have to weaken it further, but Stormheart was still tired from his gym battle. Then she remembered her father's gift. She dug around in her bag as the Poochyena panted and prepared for a Tackle attack. She pulled out the greatball and threw it with perfect accuracy. But instead of engulfing the Pokémon, it bounced painfully off its head and opened. A bright flash heralded the arrival of a Pokémon, which hovered in the air. Kyara gasped as she realised her father had given her a Pokémon, and not just an empty ball. And the Pokémon was some kind of bird Pokémon. It was pretty small, brown, and had a few pale tufts above its triangular eyes. Kyara thought she had seen one like this before, but couldn't remember the name. She just knew it wasn't a Hoenn Pokémon, and it was not very well trained. It flapped its wings and landed on the ground near the Poochyena, seemingly oblivious to it. It just looked happy to be out of its ball.

"Um, bird Pokémon?" she said, trying to get its attention. It just looked around at the long grass with curious eyes. Kyara knew she would have to be more specific and exert authority.

"Hey!" she shouted. The bird Pokémon finally noticed the trainer and flew over. It stopped in front of Kyara and looked up with wide eyes.

"Um, Peck!" she ordered, pointing at the injured Poochyena. The bird Pokémon instantly turned and dove at the opponent Pokémon and knocked it over. Poochyena fell heavily and didn't get up. Kyara threw a second pokéball and this time the Pokémon didn't escape. Kyara picked up the new Pokémon and hooked it onto her belt. She also picked up the greatball and looked at the bird Pokémon. Only then did she notice there was a small roll of paper attached to one of its legs. She picked up the docile Pokémon and pulled the paper off. The Pokémon just cooed and climbed onto Kyara's head. She unrolled the paper and read the message scribbled there.

_-Kyara_

_This is a Pokémon called Pidgey, but you should already know that. On a mission not long ago, I had to rescue a flock of Pidgeotto from a misguided group of trainers. This one was left behind by the flock as it escaped, but she wanted to stay with us Rangers. Her nickname is Zephyr, and she needs a lot of training. But I know you can do it. We are so proud that you defeated Winona. _

_See you soon, and good luck! – Dad_

Kyara's eyes brimmed with tears as she felt the trust her Dad had for her. She nearly kicked herself for not noticing the greatball held a Pokémon, but was proud she had managed to guess one of Zephyr's attacks. And she was excited she had two more Pokémon on her team. She walked with Zephyr on her head to a tree and sat down. Kyara let the Poochyena out of his ball and gave them all berries to eat and recover their strength, carefully waking the Poochyena and tending to its wounds. Soon, it was able to sit up and look around.

"Stormheart, meet Zephyr and Wolfshadow, our newest friends," she introduced, letting the three Pokémon inspect each other slowly. Stormheart gave them a sniff and grinned in his funny way. The Poochyena, who had been named Wolfshadow, gave a happy bark-like sound and scratched his ear with a hind leg. Zephyr stood with her chest out and cooed happily.

The sun was at its highest point when Kyara decided to set off again. She returned all of her Pokémon to their pokéballs and clipped them to her pokéball belt. It felt weird to have Stormheart in a ball, but he needed a rest and she had to continue travelling. She had decided a week before that she would travel to Lilycove first to pick up supplies, and catch a ferry across to Mossdeep to get the gym badge. She really wanted to get stronger, so gym badges were the way to go.

As she travelled alone through the beautiful grasslands, forests and crossed the rivers, she started to regret not going with her sister. Then she reasoned her Pokémon would be able to travel with her soon enough. Kyara crossed another bridge and admired all the fish in the water below. She could see a Wingull circling in the sky above and the trees were swaying in the light breeze. It was such a beautiful day...


	3. Lilycove and Sukia Acewood

By the time she could see Lilycove, it was nearly nightfall. A lot more Pokémon were coming out after having avoided the day's sun. She hadn't let her Pokémon out of their balls as they were sleeping peacefully. Even Wolfshadow had nodded off. She followed the road and avoided the taller grass patches as she didn't want to wake her Pokémon for battle against a stepped-on Pokémon. The path soon became lined with some kind of steel railings, and she noticed more and more of the Pokémon were city dwelling types, like Normal and Bug types. Kyara decided she had to rest, and she was still a way from the city. So, she chose a low-lying tree that hid her from the path and curious Pokémon eyes, and set up her camp there. She lit a small fire and was careful not to let it burn the tree, and cooked a simple soup in a small pot. She was glad she had brought the food, just in case she didn't make it to Lilycove in one day. She lay out her sleeping bag and gathered some fallen branches and leaves to make nests. She noticed her Pokémon were all awake and let them out of the balls. Wolfshadow was still exhausted, so he chose a nest and curled up. Zephyr tried out the nest and liked it a lot. But first it flew off to find some food. Stormheart nosed his nest closer to Kyara and the fire and sat down inside. Kyara served the two canine Pokémon some soup and dug in herself. Zephyr came back just as they were finishing and pecked out the leftovers. Then Kyara bid them all a good sleep and wriggled into her sleeping bag, listening to the sound of Illumise and Volbeat dance in the sliver of moonlight that peeked out from between the stars.

As the sun started to make the horizon glow, Kyara was up and packing up the campsite. She woke her Pokémon, fed them some breakfast berries, then stuffed her sleeping bag back into her shoulder bag. She picked a few leaves out of her pixie hair and made sure the long locks were securely tied up before starting to jog into town, with her three Pokémon at her side. As the area became more urbanised, she heard the sounds of people shopping and working in the street markets and out running errands. Kyara figured there was a large market or festival in town, and slowed to a walk. Stormheart called to Kyara from a few meters back, alerting her that Wolfshadow was puffed out. He was unable to keep up, as he wasn't used to jogging for so long at one time. Kyara returned Wolfshadow to his pokéball and decided it would be best for Zephyr to return as well, seeing as it hadn't had much experience with people. Kyara and Stormheart continued on, dodging people and a few cars on their way to the town square.

Lilycove Department Store rose up in front of them, its many floors reaching into the sky. There were lots of people bustling about in the entrance, but there weren't as many Pokémon as Kyara imagined. The ones she did see were cute, city types, like Skitty and Zigzagoon. Kyara walked over to a pillar that held up a map and examined it. She had several things to get, and was surprised to hear a voice over the loudspeaker echo about the lobby area.

"Sale! Pokémon items on Sale! Up to sixty percent off!"

Kyara pulled her wallet from her bag and counted her money. She was happy there was a sale, as the things she wanted were expensive. She took the escalators to the first floor and began collecting things in a shopping cart. She gathered as many potions, antidotes, elixirsand other status healing items she could afford, plus a selection of calcium, iron, protein and zinc, and as many types of pokéballs as she could find. Her cart had mostly small stuff, but she also wanted hold items and food. She also made sure she could stuff it all into her bag. Kyara walked up to one of the nearest counters.

"Hi can I help you?" the lady at the counter asked. She looked about mid-twenties, had bright pink hair that reached just past her chin and wore a white uniform with red pokéballs in prominent positions. She also wore a white cap that had the word "PokéMART" printed in big blue letters.

"Yes. I am actually looking for items that will allow my Pokémon to train stronger. I'm not too familiar with the things this place sells."

Kyara noticed the lady's smile twitch. She must be asked this a lot. But then the pink-haired assistant noticed the other status items and the badge on Kyara's collar. She actually looked surprised.

"Well, we used to sell the Macho Brace, which gives your Pokémon higher stats in exchange for speed, but we are out. We do however have the PokéNav, by Devon, which allows the condition of trainers and Pokémon to be seen. It also has a handy map feature, and you it has a cell phone function too," she reeled off in one breath. Kyara shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't need one. But thanks anyway. Bye!"

Kyara turned away from the counter and headed down to the main checkouts to buy her items. She stood in line for at least an hour, as everyone was trying to get in on the sale. When Kyara reached the counter, the checkout woman serving her gave her another twenty percent off all items because she had a gym badge. Kyara thought that perhaps gym badges had a use after all.

As Kyara walked outside with her bag full of new supplies and Stormheart happily chewing on some kind of blue candy, she tripped over a paver that wasn't in line with the rest. She fell face-first onto a part of the sidewalk where no-body else walked, barely managing to avoid a broken nose. Stormheart nosed her and tried to help her up, stepping around the contents that spilt out of her bag. Pokéballs were rolling away and some of her berries had been crushed completely inside her bag. Kyara crawled around collecting her items, tears of rage at her own clumsiness gathering in the corners of her eyes. A shadow fell across her and she looked up to see a girl of about 14 holding out an ultraball.

"Hi there. Need help?" she asked in a soft voice. She had serious green eyes, pale skin and pale pink hair that looked like the colour of cherry blossoms. Her fringe was short and parted in the middle of her forehead, while the rest of her wavy hair fell to her waist. Over the top of her hair was a green bandana that sported orange blotches in the shape of Charmander and its evolved forms. Kyara took the ultraball with a grateful smile and the girl helped her to her feet with green-fingerless-gloved hands.

"Thanks. I wish I wasn't so clumsy," she said and looked curiously at the girl's clothes. She wore black lycra shorts and t-shirt that had a bare midriff. She wore a light green sleeveless vest that resembled a crop top that faded to yellow the closer the material was to the zipper down the front. She had knee-length high-heeled boots that matched the colour of her gloves, and she carried a large purple back-pack with a blue roll mat attached at the bottom. She carried six shrunken pokéballs on a belt. But the most peculiar thing about her clothes was the purple pant leg of lycra that only stretched down to the knee of her left leg. Kyara thought she looked strong and agile.

"Happens to me a lot," she reassured. "I'm Sukia Acewood."

"Kyara Lazul of Fortree."

"Really? I'm originally from Azalea, but I moved over to Rustboro when I was ten. I was just in Fortree a few days ago. Winona's tough yeah?"

"Yeah. But I can see you beat her," Kyara commented, admiring the six badges that adorned her vest.

"So did you. I'm on my way to Mossdeep soon. What about you?" Sukia asked. The two continued to pick up all of Kyara's belongings and put them in her bag. They made sure the zip was done up properly this time.

"I'm not sure yet. I needed to come here to pick up a few things before I began properly," Kyara explained. Stormheart grunted and looked up at Kyara, his eyes curious.

"Oh sorry! Sukia, this is Stormheart."

"He's so cute! What unusual eyes for an Absol!"

"Yeah. So are you leaving tomorrow?"

"I think so. I was actually about to go and do some training out on 121. Want to come?"

Kyara nodded. The two trainers headed out of the bustling city square and towards Route 121.

"So, you only have Mossdeep and Sootopolis left, yeah?" Kyara asked.

"Uh-huh. I missed out on the last Pokémon League, but seeing as the next one is still far away, I have plenty of time to train and become strong enough."

"Sounds like a good goal."

Kyara and Sukia reach the edge of the city and found a good section of open forest to train in. They were walking over the grassy ground, Kyara savouring the far off smell of rain that floated on the wind. Sukia suddenly stopped and turned to Kyara. Her eyes were narrow, and she had a funny smile on her lips. Kyara also stopped and tilted her head, a little confused.

"Why are we...?" she asked, but Sukia held up her hand.

"Battle me. I want to train, and so do you right? I figure this is the best way."

Kyara gasped and her eyebrows knitted together with worry.

"You have a lot more experience than me," she grumbled, then continued clearly, "But I will do my best!"

"I see you only have three Pokémon, so it will be three on three."

Kyara nodded, and watched carefully as Sukia pulled one pokéball from her belt and threw it towards her opponent.

"Go, Gecko!" she cried out, and a green, red bellied Pokémon appeared on the grassy ground. _A Sceptile!_ Kyara realised. She looked down at her belt and at Stormheart.

"Fine. I choose... Wolf Shadow!" she countered and released the Poochyena.

Gecko looked down at the little Pokémon in front of it and rolled its eyes. It raised its bladed arms in a fighting stance and growled its name. Wolfshadow seemed to smirk. His small stature seemed to always make people underestimate him. He lowered his head and got into his familiar fighting stance.

"Okay, Wolfshadow. This is your first battle, so show them what you got!" Kyara encouraged. She didn't even know what moves he had, so she had to just trust him to use them. Sukia laughed.

"First battle? I almost feel sorry for the little guy," Sukia chuckled.

Kyara stared hard at her opponent, and suddenly had an idea.

"Wolfy, Tackle!" she ordered, pointing at Gecko. Wolfshadow instantly sprang forwards. As her Pokémon ran, Kyara thought hard._ Now what did Wolfy use when we fought? I know about Tackle. Oh yeah! It Howled before attacking! But what are its other moves?_

Wolfshadow reached the Sceptile. It jumped up into the air, but Sceptile swatted it away with an arm as if the small Pokémon was nothing more than an annoying bug. Wolfshadow was quick enough to land on its paws. It skidded to a halt, sending dirt and grass flying. Kyara suddenly had an idea.

"Again!" Kyara called, and Wolfshadow started running at Gecko again.

"Seriously?" Sukia asked and giggled, "This is too much!"

As Wolfshadow neared the opponent Pokémon again, Kyara shouted, "Dive down!" Wolfshadow did as he was told and dived onto the ground. He skidded straight under the Sceptile's legs!

"Now Sand Attack!"

Wolfshadow cleared the Pokémon's legs and planted his forelegs firmly on the ground. Just as Gecko turned to look at the Poochyena, Wolfshadow kicked dirt and grass into his eyes. Gecko rubbed at his eyes, temporarily blinded. Kyara laughed.

"Wolfy! Get him while he's blinded!"

"Gecko! Leaf Blade!"

Wolfshadow turned to the flailing Gecko, whose arm blades were glowing. Kyara knew if Wolfshadow hit one of those, the damage sustained would be incredible and the new Pokémon would have no chance. But Wolfshadow obviously knew he would get hurt, so he opened his jaws wide and clamped them down on the Sceptile's right leg. Gecko cried out and swiped at Wolfshadow, but the blinded Pokémon's accuracy was terrible. The Poochyena jumped out of reach.

"Howl, followed by Bite!" Kyara ordered quickly.

Wolfshadow howled, and he got psyched. He raced in at the flailing Pokémon and bared his fangs. But as he dived in for the attack, Gecko used Leaf Blade on Wolfshadow, even though he was still blinded. Wolfshadow was knocked flying. The small Pokémon came down with a soft thunk on the grass and didn't get back up. Kyara started to run over to pick him up, but Sukia's cry made her hesitate.

"We're still in a battle!" she called out. Then she pulled out Gecko's pokéball. "You're leg is too hurt to be of any use. Return."

"Return Wolfy. You did good," Kyara said, putting Wolfshadow into his pokéball. She pulled the greatball from her belt and held it in her left hand. Sukia looked up at the battle-ready trainer and smiled.

"That was a good strategy. You really are talented, but you lacked the power. Next, I call out my Typhlosion, Ember!"

The bright flash of Sukia's ball revealed a big bear-like Pokémon whose fur was mostly a green that was nearly black apart from its pale underbelly. It was taller than Sukia, and its frill of flames were impressive. Kyara decided Zephyr would have no chance defeating this Pokémon, so she looked at Stormheart, who stood alert at her size. He shared her look and gulped. This was going to be tough.


	4. Fire and Flight

Sukia smiled happily at her Typhlosion.

"Isn't he awesome? He was my very first Pokémon," she said proudly. Kyara nodded and faced her opponent front on.

"Then I will use my first Pokémon too!" Kyara replied and Stormheart leaped in front of his trainer.

Sukia and her Typhlosion exchanged a glance and Ember laughed.

"This will be fun!"

Stormheart bristled, and he seemed to become much larger and resemble a white lion. Kyara knew Stormheart could feel the power of Ember's heat creating havoc in the air.

"Ok, Stormheart. Feel before acting like I taught you. You should be able to predict the fire attacks at least," Kyara muttered so only Stormheart could hear.

"Hey! Stop whispering and attack!" Sukia grumbled across the battleground. "Or I'll go first. Ember, use Smokescreen!"

The Typhlosion coughed and began breathing out thick plumes of smoke. The smoke spread out and soon it engulfed Stormheart and Kyara. Kyara used her denim vest and covered her mouth, with her watering eyes squeezed shut. It was impossible to see, and Stormheart had his eyes shut.

"Flamethrower!" sounded Sukia's voice through the smoke. Suddenly, there was a terrific heat and a roar of fire as the Typhlosion belted out a huge pillar of fire from an unknown direction. The smoke was so thick that it only thinned slightly after the attack. Kyara listened but the fire attack had stopped. Now the opponent was just waiting for the smoke to clear.

"Razor Wind!" Kyara coughed. There was a white glow and a growl, followed a second later by a strong wind and a grunt. The smoke was blown away. Sukia gasped and Kyara cheered hoarsely. There was Stormheart, standing untouched in the centre of the burnt clearing, with his eyes still shut. And not too far away was the Typhlosion Ember, doubled over and clutching his chest.

"What!" Sukia squealed. Kyara smiled lopsided and watched as the Typhlosion stood up straight. His chest was still hurting, but he was still more than capable of fighting. He was more stunned than anything.

"Absol can sense even the tiniest changes in pressure of the air. He felt both the oxygen your Typhlosion took in and the oxygen the attack burnt up, removing oxygen from the air. The fire also heated the air. The air pressure down here changed slightly as air heated up and rose higher or was removed. The movement of your Pokémon and the sound of your Pokémon alerted him of where the attack was to be as well. All Absol have the ability to sense pressure changes, but my Stormheart is special, as I trained him to use his natural abilities even in the smallest sense."

"Alright, enough with the lecture. So it knows where I am attacking from. Hooray. That's useless though if it can't dodge the attack," Sukia cut in. She pointed at the Absol and commanded, "Swift!" Ember stabilized himself and let loose a barrage of stars from his mouth. They moved too fast for Stormheart to dodge, so he just braced himself and tried to block some with his horn. As the stars hit, Kyara gasped. The Absol's body was sturdy, but he wouldn't be able to handle too many rounds of Swift. Again and again, the stars pelted Stormheart's body. Suddenly, the stars stopped coming. Stormheart stared at the Typhlosion, his eyes narrowed and alert. Sukia was staring also, but with wide, confused eyes.

"Ember! What are you doing?" She squealed. Ember tried to cough up another star, but nothing came. Kyara frowned, but then smiled as she remembered.

"Remember how I told you Absol can sense pressure changes? They also have the ability Pressure, which makes the opponent run out of power quickly. I guess your Ember can't use Swift anymore."

Kyara thought Sukia's tantrum was funny, but Stormheart needed to finish the battle quickly. He looked exhausted and had even started panting.

"Hang in there. Quick Attack!" said Kyara. Stormheart raced forward with a white trail blazing behind him. He tackled the larger Pokémon and darted away before Ember could hit him. Ember fell backwards, but quickly jumped to his feet.

"Flamethrower! Stop lounging around!" she yelled. Ember took in a breath and fired. Stormheart felt where it was going to be, but he was a bit close to dodge the pillar of fire. He took a scald to his left side and retreated to lick his wound. Kyara knew this attack would be his last for the battle.

"Get in there Stormy!"

Stormheart began racing towards the Typhlosion, aware it was clutching its throat. It was only capable of coughing up small embers despite Sukia's screaming for another Flamethrower. The large Pokémon decided it had enough of this white Pokémon and set up a strong stance. Sukia seemed to recognise the stance and calmed down.

"Ember, Take Down!"

"Stormy, Bite!"

The Typhlosion leaped at the Absol, whose jaws were wide open. As Ember made contact, Stormheart's fangs closed on his shoulder. The heavy Pokémon slammed down on top of Stormheart, knocking the Pokémon out. Ember's shoulder was damaged and the Pokémon flinched from both the attack and Take Down's recoil damage. After a few heart-pounding seconds, the fire Pokémon got off the Disaster Pokémon and returned to Sukia's side. Sukia appeared to have an expression of awe on her face.

"Ember helped me defeat six gyms, and here he is having trouble with a newbie trainer. You are something," she muttered as Kyara ran out to see if he was okay. Kyara sighed with relief as Stormheart awoke when she put smelling salts under his nose. He limped back with his trainer to where she was standing and lay down to lick his wounds. Kyara faced her opponent with a bead of sweat running down the side of her face.

"Okay, last Pokémon," Sukia said and pulled the third ball from her belt. She threw it and a blue Pokémon appeared on the charred grass. It looked like some kind of snake, but cute. It had large round nose and wings on the side of its head. Kyara responded with the greatball.

"Zephyr, do your best," Kyara said with strength.

"Meet Hope, my Dratini."

The Pokémon stared each other down. Kyara thought the two Pokémon looked baby-ish compared to the two titans that had fought mere seconds ago. It was strange these two would have the final battle. Kyara knew she had lost two battles and had no chance of winning now, but she would try to beat at least one Pokémon.

"Use Twister!" Sukia ordered, to which the Dratini began to swing its body around like a lasso. The air began to howl and kick up dust. Stormheart growled as the mini tornado became visible and grow in size. Zephyr felt a tugging on her feathers and decided it was time to fly out of the way. Unfortunately, at the exact moment the Pokémon lifted off from the ground, the twister became much stronger and sucked the little bird straight in. She cawed with terror as she was spun round and around, some of her looser feathers being slowly tugged out. Kyara was shocked, but she had to act fast. She didn't know what moves the bird knew except Peck. What could Zephyr use to free herself? She carefully recalled moments when she had spied on Winona training her bird Pokémon.

_Winona stood with her arms in the air, brown sleeve-like guards on her forearms. Kyara liked the look of them, so she always wore a set of her own; not knowing they were there so bird Pokémon's talons wouldn't hurt their trainer as they perched there or carried their trainer through the sky. Suddenly, Tailow burst down from the sky and landed perfectly on the gym leader's arm. Winona praised the tiny Pokémon, and then ordered it to go up do it again. Kyara couldn't see very well so she wriggled forward from her position in the tree when the branch fell out from under her..._

"Whirlwind!" Kyara spontaneously ordered. The Pidgey stopped cawing frightfully and flapped her wings. She seemed to take strength from the order and stabilised, flapping her wings with strength that seemed impossible for the small bird. The twister wobbled for a moment before dying down completely. Sukia frowned, a bit confused.

"What just happened?"

"Whirlwind spun in the opposite direction, cancelling the twister out. Zephyr! Peck!"

The Pidgey took her moment as the Dratini's spinning slowed to a halt and stopped her flapping. She dropped straight down and attacked the blue Pokémon with her sharp beak. The Dratini cried out, and Sukia gasped. Zephyr didn't let up until Kyara called for her to stop. Zephyr flew up out of Dratini's reach and hovered. But then something strange happened. Both Pokémon didn't wait for an order from their trainers and charged, with Hope leaping into the air and Zephyr diving. Beak met nose and their appeared to be a stalemate. The Pokémon hung in the air for a moment, and then they both glowed with a white light. Sukia and Kyara shielded their eyes, but when they opened them again, the Pidgey and Dratini were gone. In their places were similar creatures that were much bigger, had different colouration and appeared stronger.

"Evolution!" Sukia cried out in surprise. Kyara had seen evolution before, but it was still an exciting even. Hope had become much longer and larger, and the big nose had disappeared. The Pokémon's head had become more graceful, and there was horn on its head. Zephyr had also become larger, and her head crest had grown longer and turned a pinkish colour. Her talons had become more vicious looking, her beak sharper, her wings much wider and her tail feathers had changed colour. The two Pokémon were hovering in the air; Zephyr flapping her new powerful wings and Hope floating by some mystical power which seemed to originate from the glowing balls on the end of her tail and the one under her chin. Both Pokémon gave an almighty shove and pushed each other away.

"Hope! You became a Dragonair!" Sukia continued in a high pitch squealing voice. She then looked over at Zephyr and added, "And she's become a Pidgeotto." Sukia walked over to where Hope rested on the ground and stroked her scales. Kyara was confused.

"Hey, aren't we in a battle?"

"We were. The whole point of training with you was to give Hope the final push she needed to evolve. I'm just thankful she felt your Pokémon was enough of a challenge."

"That's mean. But I guess if you are backing off, I win by defeat despite how many matches you won," Kyara exclaimed with an eyebrow raised and a smile on her lips. Sukia seemed to flinch, then leaped back.

"No way! Hope, Dragon Rage!"

"Feather Dance!"

As the orb under Hope's chin glowed brightly, Zephyr flew up high and spread her wings, which also began to glow white. Hope released a cyclone from the orb and hurtled it straight towards the large bird in the sky. But at the moment the cyclone formed the trainer's eyes were focused on Hope, Zephyr completed the Feather Dance. Kyara quickly realised Whirlwind would not repel this attack and indicated for Zephyr to escape by waving frantically for her to get away. Zephyr stopped flapping and drew in her wings for a dive. She dropped out of the way of the move, but with a few loose feathers left floating in the tug of the cyclone.

"Quick Attack!" both trainers ordered in unison. Zephyr continued to dive, but gained speed and blazed a trail of white energy through the air. Hope slithered up through the air, also leaving a trail of white behind her. Glowing white feathers fluttered down around the two Pokémon as they collided and shot past each other. Hope delicately landed on the ground, while Zephyr swooped down to a landing position. They glared at each other for a moment. Then Hope's stare wavered and she fell to the ground, unconscious. Kyara laughed with Zephyr as they celebrated their victory. Sukia raced over to the fallen Dragonair and she pouted.

"Clever," Sukia said as she returned Hope to her pokéball, "I see how you won. You knew Zephyr would be capabe of escaping my attacks, so you ordered her to do the Feather Dance. This released feathers that lowered Hope's attack power by absorbing some of the damage when she brushed against them. In this way, your Zephyr's attack had a higher attack level and managed to overpower Hope."

"Uh yeah, something like that," Kyara said with a smile. She held out her forearm, which Zephyr hopped onto. If Zephyr hadn't flapped her wings, Kyara would've dropped her from the weight. She was unexpectedly heavier than before and took a lot of strength to hold her up. But Kyara reasoned she would get used to it. Sukia went over to Kyara and held out her hand.

"You managed to come close to defeating my Pokémon despite your Pokémon being of lower levels and you with little experience. You're faith in your Pokémon and their abilities really lets you control them easily," Sukia praised as they shook hands. Kyara shook her head.

"I don't control them. They are my partners, and they rely on me as much as I rely on them. I often spied on Winona and other trainers as they trained in Route 120. I remembered the ones who fell because of poor strategy and told myself I would use my brain and not just rely on my Pokémon's powers. " Zephyr cooed and started to lift off, but still held onto Kyara's arm. "I didn't expect Zephyr to be so strong. After all I only just got her."

Suddenly, Kyara was tugged upwards into the sky, with Zephyr's courageous cry echoing in her ears. They were flying!


	5. Loyalty, Betrayal and an Orange

Sukia gasped as Kyara was lifted off the ground a good four meters. Zephyr cawed with delight at Kyara's squeals of surprise.

"Wow Zephyr! You're much stronger than you look!" Kyara laughed. Zephyr settled her trainer back on the ground and perched on her outstretched arm. She cooed and gazed happily upon her new wings. Sukia stood and watched the Pokémon and her trainer. She had a sudden pang of jealousy. She looked down at her pokéballs and realised how much she had missed spending time with her Pokémon on things other than training, strengthening her friendships.

"Kyara? I'm sorry for tricking you," Sukia mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. Kyara felt Zephyr flap her wings to lift off and braced herself. Zephyr flew up into the clouds and disappeared temporarily from sight. Kyara smiled at Sukia.

"I can see you did it for your Pokémon."

Sukia felt ashamed as she knew she had tricked the other trainer for personal gain and Kyara was too naive to realise. Kyara stepped closer and examined her bandana.

"I like your bandana. They are Kanto Pokémon, yeah?" she asked kindly. Sukia nodded, but wouldn't be drawn into conversation. Kyara felt an awkward moment slip by, and then cleared her throat.

"Well, it's getting late now and we'd better set up camp," Kyara noted and began walking towards the camp-site she'd set up in last night. Sukia frowned.

"I guess. Can I ask you something?" Sukia ventured. Kyara turned around and smirked playfully.

"Yeah, we means you and me."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Come on, I don't bite..." Kyara laughed, "...much."

So the two trainers traced their way through the trees to Kyara's campsite. When they reached the sheltered site, Kyara was happy to see Zephyr waiting for her. Stormheart growled contently and nosed the piles of leaves and plant matter into nests. Sukia dropped her bag and flipped it over. On the base, where her roll mat was tied, there was an extra compartment where her sleeping bag was conveniently rolled into. The two trainers rolled out their sleeping bags. Kyara released Wolfshadow and set about checking any wounds. Her three Pokémon all wore satisfied expressions, as they knew they had fought their best. Sukia one by one released her Pokémon. First came Hope the Dragonair, then Gecko the Sceptile, and then Ember the Typhlosion. Then three new Pokémon were released: a Delcatty, Breloom and an Aron, which Sukia called Purple, Shroom and Pebbles respectively. Kyara went searching with Stormheart for some fire wood while Sukia stayed behind tending to Gecko's leg. She sat on her sleeping bag with the Sceptile's leg stretched over her lap. She tied a clean bandage around his leg and smiled.

"You'll be fixed by tomorrow," she concluded. Then she saw how her Pokémon all watched Wolfshadow sleeping happily next to Kyara's sleeping bag, and Zephyr plucking some down from her chest and tucking it into the sleeping bag. Both Pokémon showed great love for their trainer due to the way they had been treated when they met her, and how she believed in their abilities despite having no idea what they were, and directed them with such confidence they couldn't resist trusting her. Sukia remembered how her Pokémon used to look at her with the same expression of tenderness as Kyara's Pokémon did to their trainer. Ember glanced at his trainer, but when she caught his eye, he looked away awkwardly. She sighed and shuffled closer to her first Pokémon.

"Ember, I'm sorry for how much of a pig I've been. I got so caught up in getting badges for myself; I forgot you guys needed me."

Ember glanced at Sukia one more time before turning his head away. Sukia saw her other Pokémon were looking on in forgiveness as they hadn't known her as long as Ember. She miserably went through her bag and found the Pokémon food. She didn't feel hungry, but she forced herself to down a muesli bar. Then she curled up in her sleeping bag and drifted into a dark sleep.

Kyara returned after the sun had well and truly set. She had lots of fire wood and Stormheart had gathered a large pile of berries carried in a big leaf. Kyara was surprised to find Sukia already asleep, with her Pokémon curled around her. Then she noticed Ember was keeping a fire lit in the centre of the camp-site, but being careful to keep it small as not to burn the tree. Kyara dropped the wood to the side of the fire and shared the berries between herself and her Pokémon. As she chewed on a particularly sweet Pecha berry, she watched Ember stare blankly at the fire. When she had finished her meal, she picked up the berries she hadn't eaten and handed them to Ember.

"Cheer up. Have some berries," Kyara offered. Ember took the berries and chewed them, looking wistfully at his trainer. Kyara noticed and gave his head a reassuring pat.

"Don't worry, she knows what she's done wrong. She's been having it rough for some reason, and I am curious to know why, but I'm sure if you stick with us, she'll go back to the way she used to be."

Ember understood what she was saying, but still preferred to stay curled up next to the fire. Kyara hopped back into her bag and pulled Stormheart closer with a rough tug. He fell heavily by her side and gave a happy growl. Wolfshadow was stretched out and snoring, and Zephyr was roosting in the tree, quietly preening her feathers. Kyara couldn't imagine any other way to live. Then she felt a pang of sadness, as she knew she wouldn't see her family for a while. With luck, she might meet her sister along the road. She dreamed of what kind of Pokémon they both might befriend until she fell asleep.

The sound of the city waking in the distance greeted Kyara as she opened her eyes. The dawn air was fresh and smelled of dew, and the sky was still a pale hue of purple. Nincada were waking in the trees and already beginning to chirp, heralding the coming of a sunny day. Kyara rolled over to see Sukia gently grooming Purple. She had a look of determination on her face, and hadn't notice Kyara's awakening. The Delcatty purred softly as Sukia's brush flowed over her pale fur, leaving it clean and neat. At her side, Kyara could see Gecko and Shroom already brushed clean, and Pebbles was newly polished. Ember was still asleep, lying next to the dying embers of the fire. Sukia glanced over at Ember, noticing the distance between them, and went on brushing with great attention. Kyara had a suspicion that Sukia had been glancing at her Pokémon a lot. Kyara rolled onto her back and yawned loudly. Sukia looked up and gave her a forced smile.

"Good morning sleeping head."

"Morning. Been up long?"

"No. Stormheart has left already for food I suppose, and Zephyr went with him."

"Oh? And Wolfy...?" Kyara asked as she sat up. Wolfshadow was fast asleep on his back, his big dark paws waving about in the air, giving the impression of a Squirtle on his back. Kyara grinned lopsided and gave him a push. He rolled onto his belly and continued to sleep. Kyara set about poking him until he awoke and tried to bite her finger. He yawned and yapped at no-one in particular, then bit into the base of Kyara's sleeping bag. Sukia watched with amusement as Wolfshadow dragged the bag and Kyara tumbled out comically. Kyara then chased after the Poochyena as he stole the sleeping bag. Unfortunately Wolfshadow hadn't taken into account the length of the sleeping bag and stood on it, jerking his head down and forcing him to somersault twice before landing with his nose in the dirt, and the sleeping bag a metre or two behind him.

"Nice try. But you still need lots of training before can attempt to outsmart a sleeping bag," Kyara laughed and Wolfshadow instantly turned around indignantly, with dirt smears all along his muzzle. Kyara ran over and rubbed the dirt off before ruffling his fur. Suddenly, Zephyr swooped in and landed on the ground next to Wolfshadow, carrying a large bunch of berries. She cooed victoriously as Kyara took the berries and thanked her. She shared them out equally but didn't let anyone have any until Stormheart returned, and when he did he was carrying a small bunch of berries, but something shiny between his jaws.

"What'ya got there Stormy?"

The Absol dropped it and Kyara saw it was some kind of Pokégear. Kyara picked it up curiously. It was small and silver. It had a long handle-thing at the bottom and a small screen. It looked old, but it might still work, Kyara thought. She pressed the power button and the Pokégear came to life. The screen brought up the condition of a Vaporeon, a Chikorita and a bird Pokémon called Staravia. They were all in very good condition, and the last data entry noted:

_Congratulations! Your Starly, Amelia, evolved to Staravia! _

Kyara hadn't used one of the older models before, so it took her a second longer than expected to figure out how to get the trainer's details. She opened the details and studied the data.

_Trainer: Orange, Stevie_

_Age: 12_

_Gender: Female_

_Hometown: Saffron City, Kanto_

_Badges Won: None_

_Contests Won: None_

Kyara was a little confused. Despite how strong her Pokémon were, this Orange trainer hadn't won any contests or Gym battles. Kyara shrugged, figuring either her strategy wasn't very good, or she just wasn't interested in winning competitions.

"Where did you find this?" Kyara asked. Stormheart indicated away from the city. The date of the last entry was weeks ago, and Kyara figured they were long gone now. Sukia walked over and studied the screen.

"Wow, old technology much. I haven't used one of these in ages."

"You know how to use this?"

"Yeah, I had one for a few years, but now I have a PokéNav."

"Well then," Kyara said, giving her the device, "Can you find out where they were going next, or where they had been?"

Sukia pressed buttons and stared at the screen for a few seconds, and Kyara watched over her shoulder.

"Well, this Orange character never wrote her final destination, but I found an email from a friend in Sootopolis. Perhaps she went there." Sukia gave Kyara back the device and proceeded to pack her grooming kit into her bag. Her other Pokémon could wait.

"Well, I suppose we could get there on the way to get gym badges, yeah?" Kyara asked. Sukia gave her a funny look.

"Who said we would be travelling together?" she asked, slightly flustered. Kyara smiled but rolled her eyes.

"I didn't think you'd want to travel alone, especially if we have a similar goal."

"Wouldn't it be quicker to travel inland first, then come back?"

"Yes, but my sister is going that way. I want to become stronger before I meet her again, and give her a chance. Besides," Kyara reasoned, "Aren't the gyms at sea tougher than the land-based one?"

"Not really. That's a common misconception. They all are about the same level of difficulty. They just require different type matchups and strategies."

Kyara smiled happily as she argued who were the strongest. Apparently, gym leaders were incredibly strong, but were required to train up more recent Pokémon to give trainers a chance.

As the sun climbed a little higher, the two trainers had packed up camp and prepared to go to Lilycove. Sukia had returned all of her Pokémon, but Kyara preferred to leave all of hers out. After much arguing, Sukia managed to convince her to put at least Wolfshadow and Zephyr in their pokéballs. Stormheart was thrilled he would be allowed to sniff the city. The trainers and the Absol set off to the sound of Nincada chirping and the low growling of Linoone in the grass. The sky had not a cloud in the vast blueness, but Kyara watched Stormheart stare at the sky, sensing pressure, temperature and movement. Kyara took a second to beam with pride at her Pokémon. She knew the natural ability of Absol was impressive, but her Absol, with his bright blue eyes, had far greater skill than any other Absol she had ever met. She had jumped on this when they began their training and helped him use it in battle. Stormheart was especially gifted as he had two abilities, not just Pressure. She grinned and Stormheart's tail twitched. He looked back to earth with a satisfied growl. Kyara was glad it would be a beautiful day.

Lilycove was not quite so busy the second time around. The markets had begun packing up and trainers were leaving with newly bought Pokémon and miscellaneous items for their adventures. Kyara didn't particularly like the idea of selling Pokémon, but she fully approved of adoption centres. As they walked past the windows of an adoption centre, she saw many discarded, young Pokémon, such as Nincada, Skitty, Zigzagoon and Wurmple. She thought it was sad and was happy her family took in the Pokémon, raised them and then set them free, and not selling them like the boutiques along the streets. Sukia looked with interest in the stores that sold Pokémon, obviously used to the way of the city. She eyed the expensive exotic Pokémon, such as the Bulbasaur, Totodile, Pikachu and Heracross that lined the windows, all looking surprisingly happy, even pompous. Sukia and Kyara continued down the streets, winding their way through small crowds and tightly packed buildings.

Eventually the two girls could smell and hear the sea, and stare at the magnificent expanse of water stretching beyond the horizon. The docks were a little busy, and there were large boats moving about slowly, heading from other regions and places Kyara couldn't even imagine. The world suddenly seemed too big, and she had a moment of doubt. Stormy whined and nosed her, sensing his trainer's nervousness. No, she couldn't be scared. They had plenty of time to explore, especially with friends. Kyara glanced at Sukia and wondered why she had instantly recognised her as a kindred spirit. Outwards, she was stubborn and arrogant, and she didn't appear to care about others. Kyara's instincts told her there was more to the girl than met the eye, and her instincts had gotten her out of many scrapes.

"Excuse me," Sukia said, cutting off Kyara's line of thought. They had found their way down to the passenger boats and were now standing in front of a man in a blue striped shirt with a Machop at his side. He looked rough, but had eyes that looked kind. He smiled, baring a gold-capped tooth to the world.

"Yes Miss?"

"My companion and I were hoping to get across to Mossdeep. When is the next ferry?"

"Aw Miss, this is the last one for the next week. And there are no places left. Sorry," the sailor said before walking up the gangway onto the boat. He turned and gave them an apologetic look before continuing on his way. Kyara turned to Sukia.

"I suppose we will have to do it the old fashion way," Kyara commented.

"If you mean use Pokémon, I'm all for it. But if you meant 'let's swim', then be my guest."


End file.
